Agile mangabey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Agile mangabey |
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| Agile mangabey illustration | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cercocebus
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| Species: |
agilis
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| Agile mangabey range | |
The agile mangabey (Cercocebus agilis) is a type of Old World monkey. You can find these monkeys in the wet, swampy forests of Central Africa. They live in countries like Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Until 1978, many scientists thought the agile mangabey was just a kind of Tana River mangabey. More recently, another monkey called the golden-bellied mangabey has been seen as its own separate species.
What Does an Agile Mangabey Look Like?
Agile mangabeys have short fur that is usually a dull olive-grey color. Their faces and feet have bare, blackish skin.
- Male agile mangabeys are about 51 to 65 centimeters (20 to 26 inches) long.
- They weigh around 7 to 13 kilograms (15 to 29 pounds).
- Female mangabeys are smaller. They are about 44 to 55 centimeters (17 to 22 inches) long.
- Females weigh about 5 to 7 kilograms (11 to 15 pounds).
How Do Agile Mangabeys Behave?
Like other mangabeys, these monkeys are diurnal. This means they are active during the day. Even though they usually live in trees, they spend a good amount of time on the ground. This is especially true during the dry season.
Agile mangabeys are often heard more than they are seen.
- Males have a very loud, special call. Scientists believe this call helps them keep their distance from other groups.
- Other calls help the group stay together. They also use calls to warn each other about predators.
- A group of agile mangabeys can have up to 18 members. A single adult male usually leads the group.
- Sometimes, different groups meet. These meetings can be friendly. Members might even switch groups.
- Adult males who are not part of a group often travel alone.
What Do Agile Mangabeys Eat?
Fruit is a very important part of the agile mangabey's diet. They are known to eat at least 42 different kinds of fruit! Their strong jaws and teeth help them open tough fruits and pods. Many other monkeys cannot get to these foods.
- Agile mangabeys eat fruits from many swamp-forest trees. This includes dika nuts and sugar plums when they are ripe.
- When fruits are scarce, they also eat fresh leaf shoots from raffia palms.
- They also eat grasses and mushrooms.
- Their diet includes insects and other small creatures without backbones.
- They sometimes eat bird's eggs.
- They even eat small animals with backbones, like rodents.
